Gas-pproducer.



A. M. TAYLOR.

GAS PRODUCER.

APPLICATION FILED FEB-10.1916- 1,275,78 9. Patented Aug, 13, 1918.

2 SHEETSSHEET I.

INVENTO/f 41. 1// M. T4/L0/f A TTORNEYS A. M. TAYLOR.

GAS PRODUCER.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 10. IQIG.

2 SH -SHEET 2- I pnv lzllwlldr 1 111111111114 Patented 13, 19181;.

ALVIN M. TAYLOR, 0T HEGEWISCH, IJL'LINOIS, ASSIGN'OR TO fl-ENERAI; $1.11?

.11 OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK comr ces-rnonucn'a,

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. T3 1M8...

Application filed February 110, 1916. Serial No. 77,3772.

To all whom it may camera:

Be it known that T, ALVIN M. TAYLOR, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Hegewisch, county of Cook, State of Illinois, have invented a certain new and useful Tmprovement in Gas-Producers, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to furnaces and more particularly to those of the gas-producer type and has for its object to provide an improved top construction so arranged that the coal may be easily and efliciently distributed to any part of the gas-producer as required and so that the entire area of the producer is readily accessible for poking.

Other objects of my improvement will appear from the description hereinafter and the features of novelty will be pointed out in the appended claims.

An example of myinvention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which Figure 1 is a vertical section of a gas-producer with my improved top construction applied thereto; Fig. 2 is a plan view of the top itself and Fig. 3 is an elevation thereof.

In the drawin s 5 represents a gas-producing furnace 0 any well known type and constructed in the usual and well known manner. At its upper end the producer 5 is provided with a stationary outer top memher 0 which is preferably formed with an annularperipheral flange .7 and isrigidly secured in position upon said furnace in anysultable manner as by means of concrete or other coalescent material 8. The said top member 5 is further constructed with 5 central opening 9of'considerab1e diameter the periphery of which is also preferably provided with an annular upright. flange 10, said top member 5 in' the example shown being further provided with a .p urality of lugs 11 located at spaced intervals about said flange 10 and formed either as an integral partof the member 5 or otherwise as desired. Upon these lugs 11 is secured an annular angle iron 12 which serves as a circular track upon which flanged wheels 13 are arranged to travel, said wheels 13 being journaled upon suitable bearings 14 proyecting radially outward at spaced lntervals from suitable lugs 15 located upon an up right annular flange 15'forming part of a movable inner top member 16 extending over the central opening 9 of the outer top memher 6. The inner top member 16 is further preferably provided with a peripheral de-' depending flange 20, the former serving as' a support for a hopper 21 provided with a projection 22 which rests upon said flange 19 and further preferably having a pivotally mounted or hinged cover 23 for closing its upper end. The depending flange 20 is constructed with a valve seat 24 upon which i the conical valve 25 is adapted to be seated, said valve 25 being pivotally suspended from one end of a link 26 the other end of which is pivotally connected at 27 with an operat:

ing lever 28. The latter projects exteriorly of the hopper 21'and' is pivoted thereto at 29 and may further be provided with c'oun-. terbalance weights 30 adapted to "counterbalance the weight of the coal in said hopper 21 upon the valve 25. My improvement fur-. ther includes a series of poke holes 31 located at intervals on the stationary outer member 6 between the lugs 11 and the peripheral flange 7 and one or more similar poke holes 32 formed on the movable inner top member 16, said polie holes 31 and 32being each sdrro'unded by short upright tubes 33 preferably formed as integral parts of the members 6 and 16. The upper end portions of these tubes 33 are preferably cylindrical and are closed by movable covers 34 while the lower portions of said tubes diverge from said cylindrical portions tavthe members 6 and 16. The covers 34: may be provided with vent holes 35 which are normally closed in any suitable manner as by means of ball valves 36. A water pipe 37 controlled by a valve 38 may be provided for conducting water to the member 16 and by overflow to the member 6 whereby these parts and their cooperating elements are water cooled, the water passlng away through a suitable outlet pipe 39. The latter may be so located that the water will rise to a point above the lower edge of the delpending flange 17 before it flowsaway w ereby a water seal is provided between this flange 17 and the flange 10.

In operation coal is placed in the hopper 21 and introduced into the furnace 5 by manipulating the lever 28 to lower the valve tribut-ed over a relatively large area.

of said furnace, thedistribution at all times being even and under the control of the operator. Similarly the poke holes 31 and 32 bring every square foot of surface of the coal in the furnace into ready accessibility so that said coal may be efliciently and easily poked as desired or found necessary. It

I will be understood that the stationary poke holes 31 control a certain portion of the area of the furnace and that the remainder of said area may be made readily accessible throughout its entirety by simply rotating the movable inner member 16 to change the position of the poke hole 32. The diverging walls "of the tubes 33 serve to increase the range of the poke holes and bring a maximum area within reach of each individual hole 31 or 32 as will be readily apparent.

With my improved construction it is thus possible to readily and quickly deposit coal at any point of the furnace at any time and witha minimum of effort, while at the same timemy arrangement provides for the eflicient poking of coal. The said improvement makes it possible to burn a lower grade of coal or more of a given quality, reduces the amount of clinker, increases the uniformity in the quality of the gas produced and in fact makes it possible to produce a better quality of gas from a cheap coal with less expense and effort than has heretofore been possible. 1

It will of course be understood that while- I have described and illustrated my improvement in connection with a gas producing furnace, the.same may be used with equal efficiency in connection with othen types of furnaces. "In addition to this it will be evident that the wheels 13 may be provided with'ball bearings to reduce friction to a .minimum and to diminish the efi'ort necessary to manipulate the inner movable top member. Furthermore, if desired the outer stationary top member 6 may be provided with a cover 6 formed for instance of segments covering the space between the outer flange 7 and the angle iron 12 and.pro-

vided with suitable apertures for the accommodation of the poke hole tubes 33. A similar cover 16 having a recess and an aperture for the accommodation respectively of the hopper 21 and the tube 33 of the inner movable member 16 may be provided for the latter and in use rests upon the upright flange 15. V

Various changes in the specific form shown and described may be made within the scope of the claims without departing from the spirit of my invention.

I cla m:

1. The combination of a gas producing furnace, a rotatable top member at the upper end of said furnace, a coal distributer carried by said rotatable member, an upright tube carried by said member and forming a movable poke hole communicating with the interior of the furnace, a movable cover carried by said member and provided with openings through which said hopper and tube extend, a stationary annular top member surrounding said rotatable member, a plurality of tubes carried by said stationary top member and forming poke holes communicating with the interior of said furnace and movable cover sections located in registry with said stationary top member and provided with openings through which said stationary tubes extend.

2. The combination of a gas producing furnace, a stationary annular top member located upon said furnace, and provided with a plurality of poke holes located at spaced intervals, a movable top member mounted on said stationary member and provided with a poke hole, adjustable by an actuation of said movable member to bring various portions of said furnace within range of said poke hole and :1V coal distributer carried by said movable 'member whereby coal may be distributed over the entire horizontal area'of said furnace.

3. The combination of a gas producing furnace, a stationary top member having an axial opening and provided with a plurality of poke holes arranged at intervals about said axial opening, a circular track on said stationary member surrounding said axial opening, a movable top member rotatable on said track and provided with a poke hole adjust-able by an actuation of said rotatable member to ring various portions of said furnace within range of said poke hole, a coal distributer carried by said rotatable member whereby coal may be distributed over the entire horizontal area of said furnace, a valve for controlling the discharge of coal from said distributer and movable means for closing said poke holes.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

ALVIN M. TAYLOR. 

